Improvement in hemp-brakes



i NITED y STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES BARKLEY, or ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IM P'RovEM-ENT IN H EM P-BRA'KES.

Spcciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 17,015., dated April 7, Y15357'.

'To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JAMES BARKLEY, of St. Louis, inthe county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements'in Henip-Brakes; and I do 'hereby declare that the following is a fulland exact description thereof', reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

-The nature of my inventionconsists ina hingedplatform so arranged and constructed with suitable attachments as to graduate the speed and sweep ofstroke of the brake at the proper time by the natural traveling motion of the workman or operator upon Saidv platform, thus making the weight of the operator `the medium through which the operation of In the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation showing the change of the position of the hinged platl'orni,and also the shortening .ofA the stroke and apart of the devices for graduating the speed, in red lines. Fig. 2 is a plan View showing the change of the position of the belt which graduates the speed, in`

red lines, also a part ofthe devices for adjusting said belt.

Similar characters refer to like parts in the two figures.

A .indicates the frame-Work. B Bare frustuins oi' cones or conical pulleys, placed in reverse position to each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Said pulleys are provided with axles having suitable bearings in the framework, as seen at a. The driving-power is applied to crank b, or rather to the shaft of pul-v B, iu any convenient Inanner.

C is a cani-disk secured on shaft of pulley B', to which is attached ayielding cam, D. One end of said cani is pivoted to disk C at c, the other end being kept in proper position by .cleans of guide dl Y Eis a spring which imparts the yielding 'properties to the cam.

F is the hinged platform. The rear of said platform is firmly secured to crank-shank G. (See Fig. 1 also dotted lines, Fig. 2.) Said crankshaft turns in 'suitable bearings Vin the frame, and constitutes the hinge orpivot on which -said platform turns. 4

Secured to shaft G and projecting downward is a lever, H. (Sec dotted line, Fig. l.) The lower extremity ofv said lever takes into an eye in the end of an e1bowlever, I. (Sec dotted lines, Fig. '2.) i Said lever I turns on a pivot or fulcrum at c. The other end of said elboWlever I is hooked over belt J on pulleys B B', the purpose ot' which will be described in the operation.

K is a rock-shaft which has its bearings in the top of uprights L, and to which is connected the vibrating swordsA or breakers M. Passing through said shaft and projecting backward is a'bar, N. The lower extremity of said baris provided with an anti-friction roller, f; Said roller and bar are acted upon by cam D,` by which means vibratory motion isV communicated to swords or breakers M.

O is aspring'coiled around rock-shaft K, and attached below in such aA manner as to elevate the vibratory swords when the same areA relieved fromthe pressure of cam l?.

g is a cord or chain attached toa pin, h, in

the top of the rock-shaft, and also to' crank i' on` crank shaft G. P are the stationary swords, which are secured inproper position in any convenient manner.

S is a spring, one end ot which is secured to the framework at Z, and the otherope'rating against the under side of the hinged platform, and serves to elevate said platform tothe position seenin black lines, Fig 1, when relieved oftheweight of the operator.

t is a pin or stop in upright T, which serves to prevent the hinged platform from rising too high through the action of spring S.

o is a loose pulley on shaft of pulley B',` by which means the motion ofthe breaker is suspended when the belt assumes the position seen in black lines, Fig. 2.

The operation of my ini-'enti'on is as follows: Rotary motion is communicated to conical pulley B,which ,by means of belt J', communicates rotary motion to conical pulley B', also to cam-disk C and cani D; Cani D, in its revroller f 4in the end of bar N, which by its con- 4 nection with 'rock-Shaft K, in conjunction with coiled spring O, imparts' vibratory motion. to swords or breakers M.

tion of the swords.

, "date their action to the amountof stock under It is a well-known fact to all who are familiar withthe business of hemp and flax-:breaking that atthe commencement of. the operation a slower motion and a longer stroke is desired than at the closing, from the fact that the stroke, when' partially broken, .requires much lessforce. to make an impression. than at the commencement; and, further, as the operation is commenced at the heel of the swords, (see 06,) a longer stroke ,is required in order to.

enable the operator to place the. stock in proper position.

It may be seen by ,examining Fig. 2 that #bhe-swords ,are much farther apart at the heel sire'd as t-he stoel: is carriedl forward This object isattained in the following* manner.:

' Whenthe operation 'is first commeneed,'the yoperator stands on the rear Vend of hinged platform F at the point'v marked y, at which time the platform is in the-position seen in black lines, Fig. l; but as he advancesforward'hisjweight causes said platform gradually to assume the position seen in red lines,

:'- bywhich means crank-shaft G revolves forward, which causes crank to fall into'theposition seen in red lines, and by its connection with pin h in'vrock-sha-ft 7c, through cord or chain'g, the vibrating swords M are brought into position seenin red lines, Fig. y1, and then.

the length of stroke is shortened.

By the yielding spring properties. of cam D the breakers are operated equally well, either `with a long or short stroke; also, the vibrating swords are allowed in a measure to'v accommomannfaeture.

:By the depression Of' hinged platform F'the lower extremity of lever II is. carried back-` ward, as seen inred dotted lines,.Fig. ll, which operates an elbow-lever` I, andeauses it to manage the hemp.

assume theposition seen .in red lines, at the same time carrying belt J along with it, as also seen in red lines. This gradual change in the osition of the -belt increasesl the speed of the reaker, as will clearly appear fromv the relative change ofthe circumference ofthe pulleys at the points where the belt'bears. When A the operator retreats to the rear of platform F, it (the platform)assumes the position seen in black lines by the action of spring S, which allows the breakers-by the aid of coiled spring 0, to assume the position seen in black lines, Fig. 1. The revolution of shaft G carries elbow-lever I and belt .Iback to the lposition seen lin black lines, and the brake isl ready for another operation. 4The great advantages claimed in this arrangement or improvement consists in, the arrangement of the hinged.

platform audits connection with suitable devices herein described, whereby the speed of the breakerand sweep of stroke are graduated at tlledesired time and inthe proper manner by the natural changeof position of the operator Vupon the hinged platform, thus giving all the advantage of the hand-brake, and'at the vsaine time giving the operator the free use-ofboth handsto handle the stock.

Having thus fully described my invention, I S rdo not claim any single member of my machine as such; neitheram I unaware that a mode of shifting thev speed and stroke in similar machines by hand-levers has been used, for such is `seen inthepatent of M. Thompson, of -Au gust 5, 1856; but l What I do claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

The hinged platform, arranged as described, in combination withythe mechanism, substanti/ally as .herein set forth, and so that the attendant upon the platform may change the speed and stroke by merely changing his p0- sition, and thus leave his hands at liberty to JAMES BARKLEY. Witnesses:

JOHN S.l HoLLINGsHEAD,

THoMsoN H. ALEXANDER. 

